"What in the world were you four thinking?!"
"This was supposed to be a formal awarding ceremony, a perfect opportunity to showcase the Marines' rising stars, and what happened?"
"One of you spouts absolute nonsense!"
"One's obsessed with nothing but killing!"
"One shows up yelling, 'Yo yo yo, I'm here~'"
"And one's sleeping, and when he woke up, he yelled Wohooo and jumped around like a complete idiot.
"You're really making the Marines proud!"
At this point, Fleet Admiral Kong Kong had fully transformed into a nagging old woman, launching a barrage of scolding that made the four officers bow their heads in shame.
The most miserable of the bunch were Hammer and Borsalino.
The former was covered in bruises from punches, the latter had bandages wrapped around his head, which, paired with his crooked glasses, gave him a strangely unique aesthetic.
"The Marines exist to eradicate pirates and uphold justice. Hmph! Anyone obstructing my justice deserves annihilation!"
Now that's Sakazuki for you, what a bold and brash genius.
Just like that, the scolding's focus shifted.
"Get out! Go patrol the Grand Line! Don't let me see you back here for at least a year and a half!"
Wheezing and red-faced from rage, Kong pointed to the exit like he was about to cough up a lung.
"Hmph! Just what I wanted!"
Sakazuki turned and left, leaving behind a dramatic and cool exit.
Hammer and Borsalino's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets in awe.
"Boss-level move! Fleet Admiral Kong, don't worry, I will definitely not follow his example. I'll quietly stay in the armory where you won't even see me!"
"Yes, Fleet Admiral Kong~, I will also set sail immediately, and I promise not to disturb you~!"
Hammer and Borsalino's comedic act left Kong so mad that he could only glare, speechless.
"What, no response? That means you agree, right?"
"Brother Borsalino, let's go!"
"Alrighty~, Hammer-kun! Goodbye~, Fleet Admiral Kong!"
While the Admiral was still catching his breath, Hammer and Borsalino slipped out.
Only poor Dragon was left standing there, snoring away.
"Zzz… Mmm… Big chunks of meat…"
Kong: 'What did I do to deserve this?!'
Having sent off his fellow "followers of the Way of Slack", no wait, he's now "Tactical Retreat Brother Borsalino," Hammer headed straight to the Marines' Logistics Department.
He still had serious business to take care of.
"Rear Admiral Andre, I'm Hammer. I'd like to access the Special Vault to retrieve some forging materials. I'll also need to withdraw some funds."
Vice Admiral Andre, a composed and reliable officer, was the head of the Marines' logistics.
Don't underestimate him, he's a veteran who participated in the legendary God Valley incident.
He had to step down due to injuries, but his chest full of medals speaks volumes about his accomplishments.
"Oh, Rear Admiral Hammer. Got paperwork?"
"Sure do! A special privilege order signed by Admiral Sengoku!"
"How much are you withdrawing?"
"Hmm… let's start with 200 million Berries."
Andre glanced at the order, nodded, then recorded the details in his logbook.
"Hammer, I heard your goal is to become the head of logistics. Is that a joke, or are you serious?"
Andre's expression turned serious as he awaited Hammer's response.
"Mmhmm... I'm serious!"
Of course, he was serious! This was Hammer's ultimate ambition!
"Sigh... With your talents, why are you so fixated on a position like the logistics chief? You should be heading out to sea. The ocean is where a man's destiny lies."
Hearing such a grandfatherly tone from a man who looked barely 40 felt surreal.
"Huh? No thanks. I've got thalassophobia, claustrophobia, sudden-death-away-from-land syndrome, and deck-insanity disorder."
"Yup! Land is where my true destiny lies!"
"Alright then, Vice Admiral Andre, I won't take up more of your time, I've got gear to collect."
With Andre sighing behind him, Hammer zipped off toward the vault.
Marines' Treasury Vault, the most important room in the Marines' entire logistics department.
Because everything inside? Pure treasure.
The warehouse wasn't huge, around 500 square meters.
On the left, just inside the door, was a massive pile of ore, brightly colored and stacked high. Hammer's eyes turned to literal heart shapes.
Because these were all rare forging ores!
'Cryolite, magnetite, meteorite, seastone, chef's kiss, all top-tier forging materials.'
'Mithril, tin-iron, thorium, each one a material that could enhance weapon quality.'
'Take it. I must take it. Not taking it would be criminal.'
Hammer kept his word. He grabbed every type of ore and tossed it into his storage ring.
One ring full? No problem, he pulled out another one.
He'd actually forged two storage rings specifically for this day.
He could already imagine Sengoku and Kong's pained expressions once they found out half the stockpile was gone.
Suffer! Despair! Kyrieloid!
'Ops wrong universe, but whatever'
He didn't take everything, but the once-towering ore pile had noticeably shrunk by almost half.
Onward into the warehouse. Past the ores was the Cold Weapons Vault.
Polearms, broadswords, bows, there were even famous named blades here.
But Hammer didn't need any of them. As a blacksmith, he could forge better weapons himself.
Next area: Armor Vault.
Rows and rows of gleaming armor stood neatly displayed, a stunning visual spectacle.
Seeing the suits of armor reminded Hammer of the king he once pounded into idiocy, Vinsmoke Judge.
"Wonder if that lunatic started making gene warriors yet."
"Toxicity, flame resistance, electric shock immunity, raw power... tsk tsk tsk..."
Unbeknownst to Hammer, while he was thinking about Germa.
Germa itself was in full swing.
"Sir, Queen Sora's condition has stabilized."
"Good. And the fusion of the Super-Soldier gene?"
"Appears to be stable so far."
"Excellent! Very good!"
Judge looked at Queen Sora on the monitor with excitement all over his face.
"Hammer was right. Genes are the pinnacle of creation. With the Super-Soldier gene, I'm certain Sora's child will be a world-class powerhouse! Germa will rise again!"
But just as he was getting hyped, a sudden burst of pain hit his head.
"Argh! What's this?! My head! It hurts!"
The intense mental shock made him reel, and suddenly, fragments of lost memories snapped back into place.
"Hammer... my old friend..."
"Damn you! Hammer! How dare you play me for a fool!"
Memories shattered by Hammer's beatings had returned, and Judge's face twisted in fury.
"Hmph! You never thought I'd remember, did you, Hammer? But thanks to you, my ultimate soldiers are nearly complete!"
"Even your attacks won't be able to leave a scratch on them!"
"You'll beg for mercy at my feet!"
"No, you will beg! I, Judge, am the world's greatest scientist! A lowly blacksmith like you dares call me brother?!"
Then an idea struck him.
From rage to a sinister grin in a second.
"Notify the lab, don't erase the emotional sequences in the gene soldiers. At least not yet."
"Hammer, I've figured out exactly how to deal with you. HAHAHAHAHA!"
"Your skills will become the blade of the great Germa Kingdom!"
Cackling like a madman, Vinsmoke Judge laughed maniacally. His voice echoed throughout the entire castle, not fading for a long, long time.